Dhobi Ghat - Mumbai

In Mumbai, very close to Mahalaxmi suburban railway station is this famous Dhobi Ghat (Open air laundry) where clothes are washed in individual stone pens, by a large number of dhobis, and left to dry in the open. You will find many tourists out here busy taking pictures and also surprised at how this whole thing works...
In almost every part of the world there are such interesting spots where locals do not give a second look but tourists go gaga over it! I must have crossed this dhobi ghat so many times but only when one day i decided to go there with my camera i realised what i had missed till then and also wondered how folks out here keep track of clothes!!

Ophiophagus hannah - The KINNG

Hi All,
Mr. Krishna Ghule with a "King Cobra ". He a is Master in Snake Handling.
King Cobra of Wt - 16 Kg, length - 18' - 3", Seized in Goa.
It is very steadfast and fussy about its diet , eats snakes nothing less.

Betty or Veronica?

Who do you think Archiekins should marry?
Betty or Veronica.
What's your take on this folks!

'Lampropeltis getula californiae', facts and adventure

During my trip to Colorado in April I got to visit an old friend in Albuquerque, NM. He took us to the Natural history museum. As I was wandering around in the reptile room I met 'Lampropeltis getula californiae'. That is the scientific name for the California King Snake. He stood out because he was an interesting looking snake. He was completely white with yellowish bands.

I asked the lady standing next to the container about it and here are some facts about these snakes:
Common kingsnakes, occur in various colors, and are some of the most beautiful snakes of the world. For instance, the Sonora Mountain kingsnake has narrow red and white rings separated by thin black rings. The scarlet kingsnake has broad red rings and narrow yellow rings separated by thin black rings. The California kingsnake typically has broad dark bands separated by cream-colored bands, however the fellow I was looking at was an 'Albino California Kingsnake'. Kingsnakes, resemble the venomous coral snakes, but the kingsnake's red rings are bordered by black rings and the coral snakes red rings, by yellow rings. Here is an old saying on how to tell if a snake is venomous or not: "Red touches black, you're o.k., Jack, red touches yellow, you're a dead fellow."

I asked her a few more questions and suddenly she asked, "Do you want to hold him?". I sure did not expect that from her. I have always wondered what it would feel like holding a snake and here was my opportunity. I quickly agreed, and my son looked at me like I was nuts. The lady explained to us that he was not a venomous snake, however, he was not defanged. Apparently he does have a very painful bite, but she assured me that he would only bite if I provoked him. She said, " just hold him and act normal, no sudden movements, and you will be OK". She fished him out of the container and placed him in my hands. He felt cold, but not slimy at all. As soon as the lady placed him in my hands he went exploring. He decided he would see what my back looked like and slithered between my body and my arm as you see here

He then slid down my back and hung there for a while

and then decided he had had enough of that and circled back to my palms.

My son wanted no part of this adventure and stayed as far away as possible. You can see him standing behind me in the background. A long line of people wanting to hold him had started to form so I had to relinquish him to the next person in line. What an unexpected adventure!!!

Thank You Ungles and Andies!:)

Hello there everyone!
I'm Stan's daughter..Just wanted to say THANK YOU to all of you for yr wishes:)
As you'd know-having Stanley for a Dad does wonders to one's IQ level,and I attribute a huge chunk of my marks to the same!:)Thanks,once again:)

Love-Divya.

One that Got Away...

It was evening and we were returning back from the last safari of the day, at Gir. We could see nothing that we could shoot at that time of the hour... Then at a small culvert, our jeep stopped and I aimed my camera at a bird sitting on a small rock near the pool of water. Disturbed by our presence it took off but not before I could capture... I love this shot for its atmosphere... Mood shot??

Sikkim Visit

That's Shivani, Vani and me! Most of these photographs have been taken by Shivani. Please do visit Sikkim!!

Sikkim... Contd...

Sikkim... contd.

Sikkim

Hi Folks,
We just returned from Sikkim a few days back. Annual vacation…
Sikkim is a beautiful state! Warm people, great traffic sense, clean, tourist friendly, picture post card views, yum local cuisine…
We covered the usual tourist points in and around Gangtok, Ravangla , Pelling, Lachung and Lachen apart from visits to Tsomgo (Changu) lake, Guru-dongmar lake (located at 17,800 ft. where we also got to see the Indian Army at work – protecting our borders. At that height they also run a small canteen for tourists – Coffee, tea and soup! Out here, we were at one of the highest cold deserts in the world), Rabdentse Ruins (Old capital of Sikkim), Yumthang valley (at an elevation of 11,800 ft, that houses the Rhododendron Sanctuary within the Valley of Flowers), Temi Tea Garden (The one and only tea garden in the State that produces top quality teas for the international market) and of course a few monasteries.
You must visit Sikkim. We are planning to go there again...
Regards
Vimal

A dark handsome man and his wife!!!

"Hola, cómo está, señora?" asked the waiter to the dark-haired woman sitting at the restaurant table, and "What can I get you ladies to drink?", to her blonde friend sitting with her. The dark-haired woman gave the waiter a blank stare and replied "No hablo español". The waiter looked the woman over one more time before replying in English, "I thought you were Mexican ma'am, that is why I spoke to you in Spanish. The dark-haired woman replied "Sorry, I am not Mexican".

"Ekkada pattuko vacchevu ra, ee chikkani ammayini?? Maaku evvariki theliyakunda Iran velleva enti ra??" "Ey jagratha, ee chikkani ammayi na pellam ra!!! Telugu baaga artham avuthunthi", said the dark, handsome man. He was meeting this particular friend after a long time and had not had the chance to tell him that he was married to that 'chkkani ammayi" he was with. The friend turned red in his face and apologized to the lady.

The same dark, handsome man from the above episode and his wife were traveling in Switzerland. They were on the train headed to the top of the Alps from Interlaken. A Punjabi gentleman and his family were sitting next to them in the same compartment. The Punjabi gentleman looked at his wife and whispered something in her ear. They whispered back and forth for a few minutes and finally the gentleman turned towards the dark man and said, "Saab, aap bura na maane tho aapse kuch poochun? The dark man replied,''Haan poochiye". The Punjabi gentleman suddenly became very serious, he looked up and down at the dark man's wife and asked,"Saab, ye gori kudi ko kaise pakde, saab? Ye tho idhar wali lagthi hai?" The dark man could not contain his amusement at the question, and replied, "Saab ye gori kudi meri biwi hai, aur bilkul idhar ki nahin". The Punjabi gentleman got all haughty and replied, "Arre saab kya bakwas kar rahen hain aap, yeh tho idhar ke hi hai". The dark man's wife, who was quietly listening to the conversation up until then could not hold her amusement any longer either. She burst out laughing and said, "Saab main idhar ki ladki nahin hoon, par idhar ki hi ladki thi, tho kya hua?" The Punjabi gentleman went into shock and his jaw dropped to the floor. He profusely apologized and everyone had a hearty laugh at the incident.

The dark man's wife encountered such queries all the time. She would attend Tamil and Telugu gatherings, everyone would at first greet her in English and then go back to yapping away in Tamil/Telugu and ignore her. You see, they assumed she was North Indian and that she did not know Tamil or Telugu. She would attend North Indian gatherings and everyone would assume she was from, of all places, KASHMIR!! When she attended Non-Indian gatherings, people would assume that she was from every place on earth other than India.

You have probably guessed by now who that dark man and his wife are. Well, it is all true and though it was amusing most of the time, it sometimes created an "IDENTITY CRISIS". I started to wonder, who I was. Over the years I have got accustomed to the umpteen nationalities that I am mistaken for. I now tell myself, 'It does not matter what others think'. However, when I look at pictures of myself I still cannot fathom how people can think I look anything but, INDIAN . Can YOU????

. This was when I was mistaken for Mexican!!


Here I am Iranian. How crazy is that??

Here I am Swiss, black hair and all, go figure this one out!!!

We are happy and proud , but you guys made us honoured by the wishes sent by all the Senior celebs I idolised in school. Jessica could not have said it better, by thanking herself personally. Both the sisters( younger one is Sherene) planned and have given me this surprise.

Omkar you are right .I am the youngest.

Remember all names??

1942 A Love Story!

What ACT in your opinion is 1943?

a) Action
b) Comedy
c) Tragedy

WE ARE LIKE THIS ONLY!

Hi friends,
I received this mail which pretty much defines us Indians ! Read and enjoy
WHY ARE INDIANS EASY TO IDENTIFY...

1. Everything you eat is flavoured in garlic, onion and tomatoes.
2. You try and reuse gift wrappers, gift boxes, and of course aluminum foil.
3. You are always standing next to the two largest size suitcases at the Airport.
4. You arrive one or two hours late to a party - and think it's normal.
5. You peel the stamps off letters that the Postal Service missed to stamp.
6. You recycle Wedding Gifts, Birthday Gifts and Anniversary Gifts.
7. You name your children in rhythms (example, Sita & Gita, Ram & Shyam, Kamini & Shamini)
8. All your children have pet names, which sound nowhere, close to their real names.
9. You take Indian snacks anywhere it says 'No Food Allowed.'
10. You talk for an hour at the front door when leaving someone's house.
11. You load up the family car with as many people as possible.
12. HIGH PRIORITY - You use plastic to cover anything new in your house whether it's the remote control, VCR, carpet or new couch.
13. Your parents tell you not to care what your friends think, but they won't let you do certain things because of what the other 'Uncles and Aunties' will think.
14. You buy and display crockery, which is never used, as it is for special occasions, which never happen.
15. You have a vinyl tablecloth on your kitchen table.
16. You use grocery bags to hold garbage.
17. You keep leftover food in your fridge in as many numbers of bowls as possible.
18. Your kitchen shelf is full of jars, varieties of bowls and plastic utensils (got free with purchase of other stuff)
19. You carry a stash of your own food whenever you travel (and travel means any car ride longer than 15 minutes).
20. You own a rice cooker or a pressure cooker.
21. You fight over who pays the dinner bill.
22. You live with your parents and you are 40 years old. (And they prefer it that way).
23. You don't use measuring cups when cooking.
24. You never learnt how to stand in a queue.
25. You can only travel if there are 5 persons at least to> see you off or receive you whether you are travel ing by bus, train or plane.
26. If she is NOT your daughter, you always take interest in knowing whose daughter has run with whose son and feel proud to spread it at the velocity of more than the speed of light.
27. You only make long distance calls after 11p.m.
28. If you don't live at home, when your parents call, they ask if you've eaten, even if it's midnight.
29. You call an older person you never met before Uncle or Aunty.
30. When your parents meet strangers and talk for a few minutes, you discover you're talking to a distant cousin.
31. Your parents don't realize phone connections to foreign countries have improved in the last two decades, and still scream at the top of their lungs when making foreign calls.
32. You have bed sheets on your sofas so as to keep them from getting dirty.
33. Its embarrassing if you're wedding has less than 600 people.
34. All your Tupperware is stained with food color.
35. You have drinking glasses made of steel.
36. You have mastered the art of bargaining in shopping.
NEVERTHELESS I STILL LOVE TO BE AN INDIAN.

My son's Graduation Ceremony

This is Nargis from Virginia................
I see some interesting pics out here...(hehehehe) but no time for comments ;-}
catch up with all the stuff once I get back. Meanwhile here's the link to my son Roshan's (Misha) live graduation ceremony. I sent a mail to all but not sure if I got the addresses right. So here it is. If you can, watch it- IST 10-45 tonight......:-}
Here is the link.....
http://www.darden.virginia.edu/html/standard.aspx?menu_id=22&styleid=4&id=18672

Lights, Camera.... ACTION

Immediately after roti, kapda and even before makan there is Bollywood in our lives. The influence that Hindi films have had on our lives is probably dis-proportionate to its overall technical excellence. However when it comes to dialogue-baazi I doubt if it can have competition from any corner of the world. Sample this:


When the son tries to act smart and learns a bit of biology in the bargain:

Beta, main teri maa hoon. Nau maheene maine tujhe is kokh mein pala hai

What did the fifties ki Mom tell her hubby when she was sure about her daughters’ affair?

Suniye jee,………… ab mera shak yakeen mein badal gaya hai

When mother and audience both believe in re-birth:

Mere Karan-Arjun jaroor ayenge

And when a son paid the greatest tribute to motherhood:

Mere paas meri maa hey

Now this guy has to be a born loser or a man with a golden heart:

Kyaa????????...... Tumney mujhe bhai kaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The ultimate middle class tourism fantasy of the parents of sixties:

Bus beti ki shaadi ho jaye, phir hum teerth yatra mein nikal jaenge

The classic hook line of the sixties that spilled over to the seventies as well:

Mein tumhare bache ki maa ban ney waali hoon.

In the sixties what was the best way to get rid of guilt feelings about falling in love?

Pyar kiya naheen jata, ho jata hai.

What does an over-anxious, agonized, anguished, distressed, tortured, tormented, middle-class rustic father of an eighteen year old girl tell his wife in the middle of the night?

Jis ghar mein jawan beti shaadi key layak ho, uske baap ko bhala neend kaisi.

Best way to remember your relatives? Just try molesting a woman:

Kameeney teri maa behen naheen hai kya?

Sure shot way of getting a namaskar. Try rape:

Bhagwan key liye mujhe barbad mat karo Mein tumhare haath jodtee hoon.

When even the ‘bad’ guys had a good soul:

Heads- aspatal chalte hain, tails- bhaag chalte hain.

When two is greater than three:

Ummm…Kitney aadmi thay?


As a kid I laughed at this. Now I feel it is a Rajesh Khanna classic:

Pushpa………I hate tears

When in 7th standard, I realized the transient nature of life (in Utkal Talkies)

Babu moshai, zindagi aur maut upar waale key haath mein hey….

When the seductive courtesan meets the tall-dark-handsome match:

Munni bai key kothe mein log chot khaa key aate hain ya phir chot khaa key jaten hain. Yeh pehela shaks hey jo chot dey ke jaa raha hai.

How does one drop a hint to a garrulous, over talkative, non-stop silly bantering- chattering rustic taangewalli obsessed with the “ I- Me- and- Myself- syndrome”:

Tumhara naam kya hey Basanti?

The crowd felt this too was a classic:

Mard ko dard naheen hota

When Amitabh did a double-deal with the underworld don at an unlikely venue :

Sunaa hai lift key dewaron key kaan naheen hotey

The legendary Devdas on the virtues of alcohol:

Kaun kambakht bardasht karnay ko peeta hai,
hum to peete hain ki…..
behosh ho sakain,
Paroo ko bhula sakain….

When the tragic Devdas gets hounded even by his own mother:

Babuji ne kahaa gaon chhod do,
gaon walon ney kahaa Paro chhod do,
Paro ney kahaa sharaab chhod do,
aaj tumne kah dia, haweli chhod do,
ek din aayega jab wo kahenge,-duniya hi chhod do

When sublime love mustered courage and fought the imperial power of Zille Elahi!!

Anarkali, Salim tujhe marne naheen dega aur hum tumhe jeney naheen denge

When Akbar tries to force Anarkali not only to desert Salim but also convince him that she never was in love:

Anarkali: Jo zabaan unke saamne muhabbat ka iqraar tak na kar saki ho, woh inkaar kaisay karegee?

When the mother tries to dissuade her son:

Jodha Bai: Humara Hindustan koi tumhara dil nahin ek laundi jis pay hukumat kare.
Salim: "Toh mere dil bhi aapka Hindusthan nahin hai, jo aap uspar hukumat kare.

Jai Ho.

Faiyaz, you issued a challenge, I answered, hehehe, :}

Here is my Self Ass essment, not quite the extensive coverage blogger but hey I don't have picture with two piece so this must suffice. Never tried thongs, tried two piece (but no pictures), and here is one piece with pictures, back and front to boot!!! This was 20 years ago, definitely don't have the courage to do this now!!

Vimal " The Boss "

Vimal - The Boss,
Where are you ? The original NOKIA - Connecting people . True Boss' ishtyle.
All are waiting for you .

HAPPY BELATEDEST BIRTHDAY FAB!!

When others had no time,
You created time for others!

We all were busy,
In our homes,
In our offices,
In our world,
And
In our egos.

In search of an elusive future,
We were losing a definite past.
And
In search of a World beyond,
We were losing a Universe within.

Vimal made the nest,
But FAB you did the rest.
You beat the chill,
You spread the warmth,
You made us smile,
You made us laugh,
And
Even through the prism of our tears,
You made us see the rainbow.

People shall always love you,
For the wit and humour you possess,
But
For me you shall always be
A man who taught Ki:

Hota naheen hai Waqt,
Waqt nikalna padta hai,
Apne ujwal bhawishya key liye bhi,
Aur apne sunhere ateet key liye bhi.

Dear FAB a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY, May you never become so "big" OR "successful" in life, that you too will become "busy".
May you always have time for the blog. May you and the blog live for a 100 years!!


PS: I am done with Tortoise and snail. Pls. tell me if there is something slower than this in case of some more belated birthdays!!

Self Ass essment!

Self Ass essment!

This will help you to assess and determine the type of blogger you are!

One Piece Swim Suit – Extensive Coverage – Interesting!
Two Piece Bikini – Brief Coverage – Exciting!
Thongs – Disappear In between! Raaz – The Mystery continues…

No offence meant….

Thanks 4 your Wishes and Blessings!

Hiyo from the kangaroo nation!!

Hi all,,,first ofall Fai,,,happy bday to u,,,and loads more happy ones to follow!!!
well ,,guys and gals,,,have followed all yr achievements,,journeys,,,moments of anxiety,,,not to mention --the fantasy of a world without men!!!!!do we women here resemble the AMAZONS!!!!!!no,,i think not!!!!
well,,i am lit chilling out,,,here at adelaide,,,,yeah without mils and with me right in the wine county!!!!!!!!!but all good things come to an end,,,looking frwd to maybe better things to follow,,,,will be hitting singapore enroute,,and coming back by mnth end!
will post sum pics later,,,the chocs and wine arent doing too well for my figure though!!!!
tc,,have fun,,,love ashu.
ps---arun have u missed my ......s,,,,,,s!!!!!s??????????

" Happy Birthday "

Happy Birthday Faiyaz .
All the best to you for your future and the change you want to experience .
Change is constant.

Where is Emirates ?
It's time Emirates does change , free airfares to all SVC bloggers.

Happy Mother's Day to all Moms.

This is my Ammi.For me she is the best mother in the whole world.
Ammi,thank you for the sacrifices that you have made for us sisters and for instilling in us such good values. I realise your worth and understand the greatness of your MKD (Maa ka dil) all the more now that I’m the mother of grown up kids.
Here is a small poem to felicitate all mothers
"Mother" is such a simple word,
But for me it is like a keyword,
For everything I am today,
My mother’s love showed me the way.
I’ll love my mother all my days,
For enriching my life in so many ways.
She set me straight and then set me free,
And that’s what the word "mother" means to me.

dear faiyaz

hi fai bhai, u sure-ly r going 2 b a record holder 4 the most no of bday blogs . well u do light up our lives with humour and well timed quips and so u have touched our lives. am in maldives and have unfortunately got no jsb cablle, so the awesome photos will have 2 wait - so this is just a heartfelt wish from all of us 2 u . have a wonderful day and lots of even more wonderful returns. happy birthday

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL THE WONDERFUL MOTHERS!! THAT IS MY MOTHER IN THE PICTURE.

Heppy Baarthday, Phaiyaz

I tot i taw a birthday boy!

Many Happy Returns, dude!

Happy Birthday to my dear OLD friend!

Dearest Faiyaz,
On your birthday today let me present you with some pearls of wisdom.

Be yourself.

Invite new challenges.
Recall past triumphs.
Trust your instincts.
Have faith in your abilities.
Desire only the best.
Affirm your strengths &
You've got what it takes!
Have a great day & a fantastic year ahead.
God bless.
Tas

माँ तुज़्हे सालाम !!! डबल यम्मी !!!

माँ तुज्हे सालाम!

अम्मा तुज्हे सालाम!

क्यों की आप ने आज हमे एक ऐसा चाँद दिया

जो हमारे बीच खुशियों की बहार भिचाया

माँ तुज़्हे सालाम !

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

AND

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FAIYAAZ!